Dystopia Tonight With John Poveromo

Day 117 - Tim Jacobus

Tim Jacobus’ art is probably the most well known in the world and a part of every child’s youth if not their nightmares. As the artist for the Goosebumps series there isn’t a piece of cover art that won’t be imbedded in our brains until the end of time.

We discuss his humble beginnings as he always knew he wanted to illustrate book covers from the beginning, his first cover, how his style had developed, the advent of going digital, how he navigates his time and art based on an employers needs, who he admires, his favorite pieces and even dabbling into the wold of NFTs. This one was really a blast. Enjoy guys!

Day 116 - Dion

The wanderer himself, DION joins us for an in-depth free form conversation on his collaborative new album “Stoping Grounds” (found here: https://diondimucci.com/streaming/stompingground/ ) his life before, and during his on going and evolving career in music, what keeps him going in dark times and how he learned the importance of asking for help as well as the admiration and love he has for and felt from his fellow collaborators and colleagues in the music business. Enjoy!

Day 115 - Eddie Berman

Eddie Berman is a singer songwriter from Portland Oregon, who’s new album release this Friday titled Broken English (which can be purchased here: https://linktr.ee/_eddieberman) is a true reflection of the times we’re all currently living in. We have a blast talking about art and music and our own thoughts and struggles, navigating through the beginning of the pandemic, his early influences, venturing into a new territory by making an album in lockdown, and what lies ahead. Enjoy!

Day 114 - Jon Stancer

The past two years have been existentially unsettling, to say the least. The onslaught of the pandemic, the polarizing presidency of Trump, and the battle for Black lives have begged some serious questions and have forced us to re-examine ourselves, and to confront some very harsh realities. Throughout this explosive time, alt pop-rock artist Jon Stancer was, like so many of us, cooped up, frustrated and at times, deeply sad. He found himself vexed by the chaos and uncertainty of, well, everything. While working at managing his own increasingly fragile psyche, he was also distressed by so much of what was happening around him, as certain people and certain entities began to unravel.

Jon has channeled his internal dialogues into the songs on his new EP, aptly-titled, In Light Of, out January 21st, 2022. The six-song collection delves into the many challenges of the ever-evolving human condition, with a focus on the emotional fallout from living in these currently confounding and perilous times. Mental illness (“Scared Off), marital strife (“A Few Degrees of Adjustment”), and general disillusionment (“In Light of Everything”) are all touched upon here, as is the brooding impacts of climate change (“This Cannot Wait (Until Tomorrow)”), and the confusion and horror of the January 6th attack on the US Capitol (“One.Six”). Jon writes as the observer-empath, chronicling the carnage and struggles with achingly beautiful tracks that sparkle with artful electronic textures, and feature engaging Brit-pop hooks and immersive arrangements.

“The subject matter isn’t all that rosy, but I think that’s understandable, all things considered, and I also think it’s pretty relatable. And I felt compelled to try to convey what I was feeling and also observing.” Jon shares. “I was privy to breakdowns. Many people, myself included, felt out of sorts, mentally and emotionally throughout that time. A couple of people I knew took their own lives. There was a darkness that felt far more palpable to me than ever before in my lifetime.”

His forthcoming EP, In Light Of, is debuting 1/21/22!

Day 113 - Colin Mochrie Makes Love To Aliens

Colin Mochrie Is one of the most recognizable faces in Improv. Growing up watching the cast of Whose Line was an education in comedy and having Colin on the show was like catching up with that one professor whose brain you weren’t done picking yet. Just an absolute blast talking about how he got into comedy, wanting to be a marine biologist, his TV upbringing, awkward teen years, Whose Line stories, dabbling in Stand-Up, how he met Ryan Stiles, his wife, and touring with Brad Sherwood. Enjoy!

Day 112 - Maria Comstock and Agent Buttercup

Maria Comstock and her dad, a retired United States Spy, AKA “Agent Buttercup” blew our collective minds on this episode of Dystopia Tonight. After finding out her dad was a spy she started making the now wildly popular TikToks titled “Asking A Retired Spy the Questions We Really Want To Know.” We dive into some of the unanswered questions on many of their TikToks, how she discovered he was a spy, the true message behind their videos, Maria’s college life, her activism, and what they both see as their role and opportunity while making these videos. Enjoy!

Day 111 - Dustin Chafin

Dustin Chafin and I are not sure where we met but we know it was probably someplace shitty and that’s all that matters. We talk about his patch into comedy, paving his way through NY by running sought after comedy shows early in his career, his move to LA, his incredible storm off on Last Comic standing, how the pandemic change his perspective and more! Enjoy!

Day 110 - Mike Lawrence

Mike Lawrence is one of my favorite comedians and not just because we both have the same collection of Marvel action figures…(ok that’s a large part of it) but because he’s always embraced and managed to merge his nerdy side and comedy side together. Basically when his powers combine he’s an incredibly comic, writer, roast battler, and all around great guy. Enjoy!

Day 109 - Linda Smith

Linda’s not only been with me from the very beginning of my career as a teacher but she’s also been there as a friend. It was a blast catching up with her and talking about her life and career and her love for comedy. Enjoy!

 

Linda Smith was born and raised in Cresskill, New Jersey, about 9 miles from the George Washington Bridge. After graduating from High School she moved to Boston Massachusetts to begin a career in stand-up comedy while always working towards returning to the New York area. Four years later she was back and working all the major clubs in New York City. Linda went on to become a headliner at clubs and colleges across the country. She also appeared as a featured comedienne on numerous television programs including “The Conan O’Brien Show”, “HBO’s Women of the Night”, and countless programs on Comedy Central. Her more recent television appearances were “Good Morning America Now”, “The Today Show” and “CW11 Morning News”. Eventually she made the transition into comedy writing for television. For 3 ½ years she was a staff writer on the Emmy Award winning “Rosie O’Donnell Show”. After that she became a staff writer for the “Caroline Rhea Show” and then a freelance writer for HBO. All the while she was maintaining and honing her live stand-up act. Currently in addition to working the clubs, Linda is teaching comedy writing and performance at the Manhattan Comedy School and she has a private coaching business.

Day 108 - The Spacing Effect

These guys were a blast to talk to! Both of their new Albums were Mastered by Max Norman who Produced Ozzy Osbourne, Y&T, Megadeath and many more! Max Norman quotes “There are some Brilliant Parts” in regard to the new album. The band is Scotty Bussey and Aaron Cabral. Enjoy!